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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
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    TR: Mont Blanc du Tacul 2006.05.01

    After six days of chaining myself to my desk to catch up on work it was high time to get back on the mountain. I dialed up Idris and Patagonian Thomas and we set off up the Mont Blanch du Tacul for a little morning exercise.

    Attachment 12939
    Idris motoring up. See that huge serac fall right over top of the Grands Mullets normal route up Mont Blanc in the background? Scary stuff out here...

    Attachment 12937
    Good weather... check! High haze becoming thick high clouds later.

    Attachment 12938
    Can you spot the Matterhorn?

    Attachment 12940
    A fine day for a bit of ski mountaineering.

    Attachment 12942
    Aiguille du Midi to 3842m, slight descent and traverse to 3500m, and then straight up to 4171m. 4000m peaks don't come much easier.

    (Continued...)

  2. #2
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    Nov 2002
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    Melbourne, Australia
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    Easier than Breithorn?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
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    Chamonix
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    Attachment 12943
    We are not alone on this mountain. The French GEED to the left of me has just made some nasty remarks to me and Thomas and is about to get the verbal beating of his mountaineering career... story for another day.

    Attachment 12944
    Cresting the ridgeline, the Mont Maudit comes into view. We had hoped to shoot for this one today but the face is looking pretty hairy even for a ski descent, let alone a ski climb up. Save it for better conditions.

    Attachment 12945
    Tom on the final stretch, which involves some light scrambling.

    Attachment 12946
    Making my best attempt to blasphamize at the summit cross.

    Attachment 12947
    The obligitory group photo...

    (Continues...)

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
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    Chamonix
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    ...and we're off!

    Attachment 12950
    And hey, this snow is not bad!

    Attachment 12948
    No, it is NOT BAD AT ALL!

    Attachment 12949

    Attachment 12951
    Slight traverse required with some pretty cool exposure - seracs providing the danger on the top and a big friggin crevasse providing the danger below.

    Attachment 12952
    And now Idris wants to go exploring...

    (Continues...)

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Chamonix
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    Attachment 12953
    My what an interesting little tunnel have you found Idris?

    Attachment 12954

    Attachment 12955
    What's on the other side?

    Attachment 12957
    OK!

    Attachment 12958
    Well, that was a cool little detour!

    And finally a little ramble down the Vallee Blanche gets us some nice spring cruising snow to finish it off before we chow down on lunch on the little Montenvers train back. Nice day!

    Thanks Idris and Thomas. See you for the next one.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
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    North Vancouver
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    Nice little morning ski.

    It must have been cold Tom's actually wearing a hat.

  7. #7
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    Oct 2003
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    Was UT, AK, now MT
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    13,499
    Awesome. I love the increasing frequency of the Euro TR. More please...............

  8. #8
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    Oct 2003
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    Switzerland
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    NOICE!

  9. #9
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    Jan 2006
    Location
    Denver, Co.
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    You suck for having that in your back yard. I cant wait until I win the powerball so I can buy a house in Cham.

    Nice photos, keep em coming!

  10. #10
    Join Date
    May 2002
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    Norte del río
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    Watch out for those Seracs Brian. Here's a few shots I took from the valley floor a year ago. I'd not want to be under one of those when they go.

    Another sweet TR btw, keep 'em coming.....









    Last edited by Hayduke; 05-01-2006 at 11:27 AM.

  11. #11
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    Nov 2005
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    Where the Butte is Crested
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    Sweet! Thanks for sharing! That Mount Maudit does look pretty hairy!

    So, what were you arguing with the French GEED about? I want to hear the story
    -
    14erskiers.com

    "Don't be afraid of the spaces between your dreams and reality. If you can dream it, you can make it so." - Belva Davis

    "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle"--Albert Einstein

  12. #12
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    very nice!!

  13. #13
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    Feb 2005
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    nice TR - excuse my ignorance - what's a GEED?

  14. #14
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    Nov 2003
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    London : the L is for Value!
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    Izz French for GUIIDEE

    edg
    Do you realize that you've just posted an admission of ignorance so breathtaking that it disqualifies you from commenting on any political or economic threads from here on out?

  15. #15
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    Nov 2005
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    Chamonix
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    Bad Roo - Yeah I thought about it and I guess I'd rank 1) Breithorn 2) Allalinhorn 3) Tacul as easiest with lift access.

    LE GEED! Naah I don't want to rehash the whole negative story. I've had enough of arrogant European guides (although they aren't all bad) this winter, last year, the year before... and just went ballistic when he made some smart ass remark to us.

    Hayduke - Yeah man all those routes are pretty dodgy... the Tacul that we did, the Maudit, and the Mont Blanc by Grands Mullets. They're all super exposed to serac fall the whole time. I think I want to do the Maudit once and then be done with all those.

    By the way, Idris took half these shoots so he gets a lot of the photo credits.

  16. #16
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    Come on, we could all do with a good arrogant guide story. What was his comment, at least?

    edg
    Do you realize that you've just posted an admission of ignorance so breathtaking that it disqualifies you from commenting on any political or economic threads from here on out?

  17. #17
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    Feb 2005
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    North Vancouver/Whistler
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    ah ok - I have a good arrogant guide story passed on 2nd hand by someone doing the Spearhead but i won't pollute bbirtle's thread

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
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    Seattle
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    Quote Originally Posted by edg
    Come on, we could all do with a good arrogant guide story. What was his comment, at least?

    edg
    Seconded......
    Quote Originally Posted by Downbound Train View Post
    And there will come a day when our ancestors look back...........

  19. #19
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    Nov 2005
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    Chamonix
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    Naah best to move on. You keep telling all your friends about the incident and it lives and lives... keeps the angry vibes going... even though I think I was right and I also think he got a serious beating on this one (Idris could tell you he was there) everybody loses a little in any argument on the mountain. I'd like to think I could blow it off if it happens again...

    But I would like to hear LeeLau's story!

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Summit County
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    Nice photos and action. Little too close to the edge for me! Be careful.

    GEED...y'all don't speak french do ya? Could have used me as I can swear blue and throw out some good insults in french.

    Turf Wars...Pro vs Amateurs...Locals vs tourists...etc. Best to play deaf (or, je ne parle pas francais, monsieur), keep truckin' and let his negativity pass by.
    when not on the snow what else do i do...

    http://www.jatho-craftsman.blogspot.com/

  21. #21
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
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    3,304
    Beautiful report. To all the glacier experts out there... is it possible to tell roughly how many seasons of ice this is based on the dirt/dust layers in the photo?


  22. #22
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    Apr 2004
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    verbier, milan, isla de pascua
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    4,806
    C o o L TR!

  23. #23
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Eurozone
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    Cool

    Nice backyard behind the Midi, awesome scenery!

  24. #24
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    Mar 2004
    Location
    Leysin, Switzerland
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    Nice TR B.
    Great pics.

    I imagine being so close to the crevasses was a rush. Always is for me.

    I picked out the Horn!!!
    Ski, Bike, Climb.
    Resistence is futile.

  25. #25
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    In the rain
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    Taken this evening from home



    Our route up in Red. Our decent in Blue. The arrow points to the summits location.

    On the top was dammed chilly. About -10C and blowing 50kph or more.

    By the time we made it down to Montonvers our lovely powder from on high had gone from Corn to Polenta and then very weak soup.
    Knowledge is Powder

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